Starman (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Starman is an American
science fiction
television series, starring Robert Hays
and Christopher Daniel Barnes
. The series ran on the ABC
network from September 19, 1986 to May 2, 1987. The series was an adaptation and sequel to a movie of the same name
produced in 1984
.
Despite the fact that the series takes place in 1986/1987, events from the 1984 film are referred to as occurring "15 years ago." This places the date of the series as 1999. This creates a continuity problem because the Voyager Golden Record
(the discovery of which by Starman led him to Earth for the events of the film) did not launch until 1977.
in the body of a deceased photojournalist named Paul Forrester
to spend time with his now teenage son Scott Hayden (Christopher Daniel Barnes
) as they try to avoid a U.S. government agent and find the missing Jenny Hayden.
Each episode of the series had the fugitive father and son moving from place to place (in a format similar to The Fugitive
, Kung Fu
and The Incredible Hulk
) meeting people that were in need of some assistance, while Scott tries to explain to his alien father what it means to be a human being. Each has a small silvery sphere of alien material, about 3-4 cm in diameter, that allows a trained mind to project thoughts to carry out telekinesis in some limited manner. Forrester is fairly adept, but Scott needs to learn how to focus. In one episode, "Blue Lights", Scott creates a picturesque image of a rotating ring of blue lights.
Forrester and Scott are also trying to stay one step ahead of government UFO investigator Fox (Michael Cavanaugh), who will not tolerate Forrester and Scott running free in society. Once, when Forrester tells Fox that children are the world's future, Fox reacts with hostility to imply that Scott is some sort of mutant, and therefore not acceptable. Forrester, however, holds no malice toward Fox, and even treats a life-threatening injury before he and Scott make their escape. (This, again, has similarities to The Fugitive, with Dr. Kimble occasionally having the opportunity to preserve the life of his own nemesis, Lt. Gerard.)
In a two part episode "Starscape", Paul and Scott find Jenny Hayden (Erin Gray
) living as an artist, under the name Karen Iseley, in Arizona
. One more episode, "The Test", aired after the two part episode, that tried to pave the way for a second season, but the series was cancelled.
and Christopher Daniel Barnes
would go on to perform the voices of two noteworthy Marvel Comic Book
superheroes. Hays portrayed Iron Man
while Barnes portrayed Spider-Man
. Also, while Robert Hays portrayed Jeff Bridges
' character on the TV adaptation of Starman and Iron Man in animation, Bridges would go on to play the villainous Obadiah Stane
in the live-action Iron Man
film from 2008
. A guest star was Jane Wyatt
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series, starring Robert Hays
Robert Hays
Robert Hays is an American actor and is arguably most well known for his role in the movie Airplane!-Life and career:...
and Christopher Daniel Barnes
Christopher Daniel Barnes
Christopher Daniel Barnes , also known professionally as C.D. Barnes and C.B. Barnes, is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 1990s Fox television series Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and for his portrayal of Greg Brady in the films The...
. The series ran on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
network from September 19, 1986 to May 2, 1987. The series was an adaptation and sequel to a movie of the same name
Starman (film)
John Carpenter's Starman is a 1984 science-fiction fantasy film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.The screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans,...
produced in 1984
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
.
Despite the fact that the series takes place in 1986/1987, events from the 1984 film are referred to as occurring "15 years ago." This places the date of the series as 1999. This creates a continuity problem because the Voyager Golden Record
Voyager Golden Record
The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for...
(the discovery of which by Starman led him to Earth for the events of the film) did not launch until 1977.
Storyline
The series takes place fifteen years after the film's story and features the return of the alienExtraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
in the body of a deceased photojournalist named Paul Forrester
Paul Forrester
Paul Edward Forrester was a fictional Pulitzer prize winning Seattle-based photographer in the Starman franchise. According to former girlfriend Elizabeth Baines, he was a brilliant photographer who had a lunatic sense of humor, but was also callous and insensitive...
to spend time with his now teenage son Scott Hayden (Christopher Daniel Barnes
Christopher Daniel Barnes
Christopher Daniel Barnes , also known professionally as C.D. Barnes and C.B. Barnes, is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 1990s Fox television series Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and for his portrayal of Greg Brady in the films The...
) as they try to avoid a U.S. government agent and find the missing Jenny Hayden.
Each episode of the series had the fugitive father and son moving from place to place (in a format similar to The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
, Kung Fu
Kung Fu (TV series)
Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
and The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (1977 TV series)
The Incredible Hulk is an American television series based on the Marvel comic book character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The pilot episodes were a pair of TV movies on the CBS network beginning on November 4, 1977; the series soon followed, airing from March 10, 1978 to...
) meeting people that were in need of some assistance, while Scott tries to explain to his alien father what it means to be a human being. Each has a small silvery sphere of alien material, about 3-4 cm in diameter, that allows a trained mind to project thoughts to carry out telekinesis in some limited manner. Forrester is fairly adept, but Scott needs to learn how to focus. In one episode, "Blue Lights", Scott creates a picturesque image of a rotating ring of blue lights.
Forrester and Scott are also trying to stay one step ahead of government UFO investigator Fox (Michael Cavanaugh), who will not tolerate Forrester and Scott running free in society. Once, when Forrester tells Fox that children are the world's future, Fox reacts with hostility to imply that Scott is some sort of mutant, and therefore not acceptable. Forrester, however, holds no malice toward Fox, and even treats a life-threatening injury before he and Scott make their escape. (This, again, has similarities to The Fugitive, with Dr. Kimble occasionally having the opportunity to preserve the life of his own nemesis, Lt. Gerard.)
In a two part episode "Starscape", Paul and Scott find Jenny Hayden (Erin Gray
Erin Gray
Erin Gray is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Kate Summers in the situation comedy Silver Spoons and as Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century....
) living as an artist, under the name Karen Iseley, in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. One more episode, "The Test", aired after the two part episode, that tried to pave the way for a second season, but the series was cancelled.
Cast
Robert HaysRobert Hays
Robert Hays is an American actor and is arguably most well known for his role in the movie Airplane!-Life and career:...
and Christopher Daniel Barnes
Christopher Daniel Barnes
Christopher Daniel Barnes , also known professionally as C.D. Barnes and C.B. Barnes, is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 1990s Fox television series Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and for his portrayal of Greg Brady in the films The...
would go on to perform the voices of two noteworthy Marvel Comic Book
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superheroes. Hays portrayed Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
while Barnes portrayed Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. Also, while Robert Hays portrayed Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
' character on the TV adaptation of Starman and Iron Man in animation, Bridges would go on to play the villainous Obadiah Stane
Iron Monger
The Iron Monger is an identity used by several fictional supervillains published by Marvel Comics. The first and most notable person to take up the identity is Obadiah Stane...
in the live-action Iron Man
Iron Man (film)
Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
film from 2008
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
. A guest star was Jane Wyatt
Jane Wyatt
Jane Waddington Wyatt was an American actress perhaps best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the television comedy Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science fiction television series Star Trek...
.
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "The Return" | September 19, 1986 |
| 1-2 | "Like Father, Like Son" | September 26, 1986 |
| 1-3 | "Fatal Flaw" | October 3, 1986 |
| 1-4 | "Blue Lights" | October 17, 1986 |
| 1-5 | "Best Buddies" | October 24, 1986 |
| 1-6 | "Secrets" | October 31, 1986 |
| 1-7 | "One for the Road" | November 7, 1986 |
| 1-8 | "Peregrine" | November 14, 1986 |
| 1-9 | "Society's Pet" | November 28, 1986 |
| 1-10 | "Fever" | December 5, 1986 |
| 1-11 | "The Gift" | December 12, 1986 |
| 1-12 | "The System" | January 9, 1987 |
| 1-13 | "Appearances" | January 16, 1987 |
| 1-14 | "The Probe" | January 30, 1987 |
| 1-15 | "Dusty" | February 6, 1987 |
| 1-16 | "Barriers" | February 13, 1987 |
| 1-17 | "Grifters" | March 13, 1987 |
| 1-18 | "The Wedding" | March 21, 1987 |
| 1-19 | "Fathers and Sons" | March 28, 1987 |
| 1-20 | "Starscape (Part 1)" | April 4, 1987 |
| 1-21 | "Starscape (Part 2)" | April 11, 1987 |
| 1-22 | "The Test" | May 2, 1987 |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Drama Series | Christopher Daniel Barnes |
| Best Family Television Drama Series | |